Monday, August 3, 2009

Today we have cleaned out closets and it was a huge job. The room where our exchange student will be staying was used for storing things that we hadn't gotten around to putting anywhere yet. Yes, we've lived here 3 years and still have boxes of stuff that hasn't been put away. I probably should have just tossed that stuff (since I haven't needed it in 3 years).

Most of the stuff was decorative things that I hadn't decided exactly where to use or if I wanted to use them. I also had stuff that belonged to my grandmother that has sentimental value but really doesn't go with my home.

Here's a better breakdown of what we did:

all holiday decorations to the attic (we had Halloween and Thanksgiving and even some Christmas stuff that needed to be organized and put in one place)

box of enamel pots (still haven't decided what to do with these - maybe on the tops of the cabinets like they were at the old house)

sewing material and supplies (gathered these together in one place so I know where to find them) - I left the sewing machine in that closet because I don't think I have enough space for it elsewhere and it won't interfere with any of her things

blankets and bedspreads - these were placed in two of those space bags and will be stored in the hall closet once I go through it - I was amazed at these bags and how much they shrank

school papers from our little one - I had already gone through these and saved only the ones that were special to us - I have them in a clear box that will be stored in the top of my closet

bed linens for the camper were returned to it

several other items were sent to our local charity store - mismatched sheets, old picture frames, etc.

I intend to post a picture of that room when I am done (probably another day or so).

Friday, July 31, 2009

Today I have decluttered literally a ton, but not at home. Today was the day to clean up the old computer lab along with its cabinets, drawers and storage towers. We (my little one, six students helpers and two teachers) worked nearly 5 hours to go through the whole area and toss items that were old, broken, obsolete or just plain unusable. I wish I had taken pictures, because the students would feel so good about all the help they gave.

Here's some of the things that made up that "ton" - we didn't weigh it but it had to be close to that:

old software with its documentation and users manuals

dictation equipment and curriculum materials

calculators

textbooks

printers and printer parts

keyboards (with some kind of connection that I have never even seen)

broken mice

decorative posters and other items

old assessments and worksheets

broken furniture

We did recycle everything that we could and all of the technical equipment is sent to one area in our county where it is auctioned off. The furniture that is still usable was put in an area at our school where others have an opportunity to use it.

It was a very successful day. The lab is looking more like a lab and less like a trash dump, but I am really tired. Now to get everything set up next week.

I've still got to finish our exchange student's room. She'll be here in a couple of weeks. The room is shaping up and starting to look more like a bedroom instead of a storage area. I've still got to do the closet, but I've got to get my closet straightened up first. Maybe tomorrow!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

This is turning out to be a very busy week with technology work for school, teacher training and vacation bible school, but I do have my 5 Things I Can Live Without this Thursday. So here we go:

too many school supplies - do you know teachers hoard these things for lean years (kind of like this one) when there just isn't any money - I still had way too much stuff

too many unread magazines - I have a stack that I put on the sofa two weeks ago and I still haven't had time to read them - they are going out in the recycle

curbside recycling - this isn't one I chose but our area is discontinuing this after Friday of this week - there wasn't enough money to fund this program in our rural area - now we'll have to sack it up and take it to a recycling area which will be a pain

mismatched pillowcases and sheets - how do you get more pillowcases than you have sets of sheets for? - I can see needing a few extra pillowcases but I had 9 that had no matching anything

boxes (well, one box and one laundry hamper) of stuff from car - we cleaned out the cars a week ago and still hadn't put up all the toys and clothes and junk from the car - most of this belonged to my 5 year old and I thought it had been put away - we are vowing to start cleaning out the car every day rather than just once every whenever

So what can you live without this Thursday? I couldn't get the Mr. Linky to cooperate with me today, so if you'll leave a comment then I'll come back and add the links. Come on. Join in. I want to see what others are doing without. I need the inspiration this week.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

We have been on vacation and so posts have been very few in the last week or so. We had to get ready for vacation and then we were gone for several days. It was a fiasco at the beach (the mosquitoes tried to eat us alive), so we left midweek and came home. Then we went to our local state park and just relaxed for a few days.

Anyway, we are back and are now getting ready for our exchange student who will be here in less than 3 weeks.

I did get our inside freezer cleaned out and defrosted last week in the middle of our vacation. All of those fresh vegetables that had been put up had not been organized - just thrown in the freezer. We still have corn that will have to be put up either this week or next so that will be busy.

Stay tuned for more decluttering. I'll be working at school this week for several trainings and some computer repairs that need to be done. I'm sure I'll find plenty of decluttering that needs to be done there as well as here. It seems that clutter is a lot like rabbits and just continually multiplies.

Saturday, July 18, 2009

This week has really gotten away from me. It's Saturday morning and I just realized that I hadn't done 5 Things I Can Live Without THURSDAY. So it's a little late, but here goes:

scratch paper - I had given my 5 year old some old paper to use as scratch paper but he has scattered it everywhere - so I'm rethinking this and probably just going to put it in the recycle bin next time

toddler undies that are too small - our little one has grown out of several pairs of his 4T undies so we have gathered up all those in that size and discarded - I knew it was time when he asked me about the "marks" they were leaving on his waste because they were too tight

grease stains on shirts - I'm can't seem to get them out with anything - if you have suggestions other than those I've tried let me know (Dawn detergent, Spray and Wash, Oxy clean powder)

tired feet - between working several days this week for 10 hours a day and putting up vegetables during the evening, my feet are killing me

old sheets - I hate when sheets get those knobby places in them - we have thrown out several sets that were past their prime

So, what can you live without? Link or post a comment and let us know.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

I relaxed so well on Monday that I am having trouble getting back into the decluttering mindset this week. On Tuesday morning, my little one said that Monday was a wonderful day and there was no way that Tuesday could be any good. As far as decluttering for me, it wasn't.

Then on Wednesday he had some dental work done that he had to be sedated for so we had to watch him very closely all afternoon and evening. I thought that when we had our dog treated for heartworms years ago and had to keep her quiet and calm for about a week that was an impossible goal. No way! Try keeping a rambunctious 5 year old quiet and calm for an evening. Talk about impossible!!

Well, to get on with the work for today, here's my 5 Things I Can Live Without Thursday:

my husband's cluttered and out of control outside shed - I think I may tackle that thing next week - we've been putting up vegetables and I can't even get in there to put the veggies in the freezer - ARGH!!

freezer burned meat - we bought 1/2 of a cow last year and I didn't realize that we had nearly 30 packages of hamburger that had not been used - it's all freezer burned and awful now - I'm kicking myself for that - just think of all the money that was thrown away - ARGH!!

toddler bed - we're getting rid of it - our neighbor is having a little one and wants it so it's going

stuffed animals - I have secretly gotten rid of several of these this week - there were quite a few of these "stuffed" in the camper - they got removed and gone through without notice - do you find it hard to remove some of those toys unless your sneaky about it??

magazines - I am vowing to stop subscribing to ANY magazines for a while - I don't ever seem to have time to sit down and read them before the next one comes in - sometimes I have 2 or 3 of them before I take time to look at them - they obviously aren't on my priority list so why am I wasting the money??

Well, there's the 5 for this week. Want you join in and share? You can use the comments section or the linky.

Monday, July 6, 2009

Today was a day to relax and declutter my mind. First, Boo and I went with my best friend and her son to Chuck E. Cheese's and played games. We all had such a wonderful time. We didn't spend any money, because we had some accumulated unused tokens from other visits. Since that venture didn't cost us anything, we decided to go to the cheap movie theater and see the Hannah Montana movie. It was awesome! Both of our boys love music and love cowboys and farms so this movie was great for them. They also think Miley Cyrus is the greatest girl (they are only 5 and 4 but already starstruck with her). Afterwards, we ate and did a little school shopping.

It was a wonderful day to get out, clear my mind and get some much deserved "no thinking" time. Needless to say, the only decluttering that got done was from my mind.

Don't forget to stop and smell the roses sometimes (or for me, it's more like stop and spend some wonderful, fun time with my little one while he is still little and wants to spend time with Mama). To quote Hannah, "life's a climb, but the view is great."

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I haven't posted anything since last Friday because my DSL has been dying a slow death over the weekend. My provider is sending someone out tomorrow to check on it. Needless to say, I won't be doing much posting until it gets fixed. This dial-up connection just takes entirely too long.

I have been decluttering in the interim time. Our camper needed lots of declutter work and it is now ready for our upcoming vacation. I'll try to post some pictures once all is working again.

I will still host 5 Things I Can Live Without on Thursday (even if I have to go to the library or the neighbor's house). Until then, I'll be working just not on the computer.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

It's Thursday again! One day closer to the weekend!! Of course it is also time for 5 Things I Can Live Without. Since I have been decluttering several areas this week, my list is going to be longer than 5.

Cell phone chargers for phones that we no longer own - how do these things not get removed from our home when the old phones go?

Diaper bag - found one of these in the back closet - my baby is 5 years old

Crochet needles - found several in the back closet - I haven't crocheted in so long that I don't even remember how

Car seat accessories - these were found in the back closet as well - why are they not with the car seat?

Dried up glue and glue sticks - found these in the drawers

Owner's manuals for appliances that we no longer own

Disorganized closets and drawers - it is so much nicer to have areas where can locate your stuff

Out of date fruit juice - found in the camper - I don't think I want to give my child something that expired in 2007

Christmas To-Do pads - found in one of the drawers - I let Boo have these to color on - I didn't use them at Christmas and probably won't use them in July either - why do I waste good money on this crap?

Wooden paper plate holder - this was just taking up space on my counter - since I'm not using paper plates much any more it has been holding several of my trivets - the problem is that it can't hold them all - so I have trivets in several places - I have gotten rid of the holder and put all the trivets together

So what can you live without? Take a look at what you have decluttered this week and share with us. Post your link or just leave a comment. Happy decluttering!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

Routines and schedules tend to help me with my daily life and decluttering. After some prompting by Joy at Just Organize Yourself in this post, I have decided that I need a summer schedule to be sure that I am getting as much done as possible. I have been feeling overwhelmed lately and have not been spending as much time with Boo as I would like to. I want him to remember the summer months as fun times and not Mama trying to declutter all the closets.

So this week I am making an attempt at creating and using a schedule. I will probably find that I need a couple of schedules (days that I need to work or attend trainings, days at home, days with outings), but for now I am focusing on the days at home.

7:00 - 8:00 a.m. Breakfast, dishes and cleanup, 1 load of laundry

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Decluttering and cleaning up the zone area for the week, 1 load of laundry

9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Reading and learning time with Boo

10:00 - 11:00 a.m. Play time with Boo

11:00 - 12:00 p.m. Lunch, dishes and cleanup

12:00 - 2:00 p.m. Nap time for Boo and individual play time (if shorter nap)Computer time for Mom (bills, blogs, email, etc.) and more declutter time if needed

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. Cut and Write time for Boo (can also be science or craft time)

4:00 - 6:00 p.m. Dinner, dishes and cleanupBoo can play outside if not too hot (this Florida heat has been so bad this past week that I haven't let him out in it too much)

6:00 - 7:00 p.m. Games and reading time as a family

7:00 - 7:30 p.m. Bath

7:30 - 8:00 p.m. Pickup time around house

8:00 - 8:30 p.m. Family devotion time with Boo, then Boo to bed

8:30 - 10:00 p.m. Adult time for parents

We may have to change around a few things, but we are going to try to stick to this attempt at a schedule this week. The only thing that I didn't slot for a particular time is gardening and taking care of the animals. We'll try to work around the hot weather for these things.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Today I decluttered at school. When we got out, I left my room just as it was. I'd had enough that week and knew that I would be back to clean and straighten up. Boo went with me this afternoon and here is what we got accomplished:

textbooks put on cart to be moved to book storage room

new computer table put together and part of the computers moved to it - this table has a back tray to hide the cables so everything looks more organized - I have one more to put together and organize but there wasn't enough room to get both of them done without moving some other furniture

moved extra desk over to my teacher desk to make an L-shaped workspace (added more storage and work area)

organized differentiated instruction materials for easy access

decluttered printer areas and reorganized

decluttered magazines and reorganized

old computer monitors moved out from under computer tables - these need to be gone through to determine what still works but now they have been moved to a place where I can check them out

moved unassembled computer carts for the lab out of my classroom and into the lab - they just got put there when they were delivered and we haven't had a chance to get them assembled yet - there's more room in the lab than in my room

My classroom looks like a whirlwind has gone through it, but at least the decluttering and reorganizing has begun. We'll probably go back on Monday and do a bit more. Needless to say, no decluttering got done at home today.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Today I have worked on Boo's clothes drawers. He had quite a few things that he had outgrown or that were really worn. We are also thinking about vacation and what will need to go with us then. We've gotten the shorts and shirts gone through and the drawers look much more organized. (He was having trouble putting away his clothes, because there just wasn't any space.)

When I was going through my Google Reader this afternoon, I ran across a post at Small Notebook with a wonderful idea for packing kids clothes for camp or vacation. I love this idea for the camper since we have such limited space. I'll post my pictures a little later today.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

At Making Your Home A Haven, this week's challenge is to clean out or organize a drawer or closet. My kitchen drawers need lots of TLC. So that's what I'll be working on. Before and after pictures to be added soon!

Monday, June 15, 2009

Today has been a fairly good day for decluttering. I have several meetings this week (inservice training for teachers), so I have someone coming to my home to sit with my little one. I've decided instead of dusting so many things that it is time to get rid of some of those items. Here is what I've decluttered today:

small basket that I really didn't like

baby photo albums with no pictures (I got several of these and never used most of them - sending out to someone else to enjoy)

books that we no longer read or enjoy

decorative pillows that seem to be thrown on the floor all the time - we tend to just move them out of our way to sit down - who ever thought a couch needs 4 pillows? - where do you sit??

sugar container that doesn't match our kitchen

clothes that no longer fit (I didn't have to dust around these but I'm sending them out anyway)

kids table and chairs set - we bought our 5 year old a real desk a few weeks ago and he loves it - he'll be starting kindergarten this fall and needed a "big boy" desk

So I think I'm getting back on track. These items will be taken to our local church thrift store tomorrow and be out of here.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

This week we have been camping out at our old place because my son loves to go to Vacation Bible School at his grandmother's church. We are also planning a vacation for July. So I combined these two activities and have been decluttering the camper. I worked on it for three days (just in the afternoons). Here is the progress that I was able to make:

Day 32 (Tuesday, June 9):

went through all the bed linens and organized by size

pulled out all beach towels to be laundered

removed heavy blankets (we won't be needing those at the beach in July)

removed trash from under the main bedroom bed (these were items that had been used and we were saving the packaging for some reason??)

Day 33 (Wednesday, June 10):

trashed old food and drink items from storage areas in the eating area (closed in benches provide storage) - these were out of date for too long

organized bathroom storage cabinet (this is a small area and has to be kept neat and tidy or nothing fits - which is where it had gotten)

decluttered toys from top bunk bed and under the bottom bunk bed

organized toys that would be staying in the camper into bins

replaced folding chairs (we had these in the car for t-ball games) and folding table under bottom bunk bed

Day 34 (Friday, June 12):

decluttered kitchen cabinets

trashed more old items that were out of date

started a list of items that will be needed for trip in July

I didn't take any pictures because most of these areas are small and you wouldn't have been able to tell much about them. I did find a picture of the camper that we had taken earlier so I put it in.

I still have several areas to go through, but at least this has been started and won't require so much time right before we go on vacation.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Is it Thursday already? With Vacation Bible School and swimming lessons this week, we have been on the move (literally). Of course, the two are 40 miles apart and we have been commuting back and forth. It's been a great week, just busy.

This Thursday's 5 Things I Can Live Without is centered around cleaning out my car (since that is what I have been concentrating on lately). Over at Organized Junkie, this month's task is the organize those vehicles.

Here are the 5:

toys, toys and more toys (who ever came up with the idea that toys in the car was a good idea??)

crayons (THEY MELT IN THIS FLORIDA HEAT!!)

junk mail - yes, I have been housing it in the car to keep it out of the house.

shoes, shoes, and more shoes (these, just like the toys, seem to multiply in the car).

jackets and sweaters (I don't even remember the last time we wore these this year. Why are they still in the car?)

Join in and list your 5 Things. Since Mr. Linky doesn't appear to be cooperating today, just leave a comment with your link.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

I have been so busy this week with the end of school that I almost forget about my new meme. Join me today for 5 Things I Can Live Without.

All the packing materials that seem to come with just about everything (especially toys). I hate having to throw out so much stuff just because I bought something. I have really started looking at how much packaging and excess materials something has before I buy it.

Sand - we have had a good bit of rain the last few days (which I'm not complaining about). My complaint is all the sand that damp feet bring in that has to be gotten rid of on my laminate floors. Some days I feel like all I do is vacuum.

Ants!! They came in when it was dry and now they are coming in when it is raining. We haven't left any food items out, but they are still everywhere. I even have those tiny, sugar ants in the bathroom. What could they possibly find in there with sugar? The toothpaste?

Using my dryer everyday. I have found that I can do this by using the drying racks and clotheslines. Even on rainy days, I can dry clothes inside and not have to use the dryer. Yippee!! This will be good when that electric bill for all the extra air conditioning comes in.

Dusting! I know, I know! You really can't live without this, but it was a nice thought. You know to never have to dust again - heavenly!!

Tonight I was able to go through several stacks of junk mail, bills, statements, etc. and get some filing done. I worked on getting the master bedroom finished as well. We've finally gotten all the furniture in and set up. So I spent some time lining the drawers and putting away laundry. I also hung a clock that I had bought and never really decided where it should go. It was just taking up residence in the spare bedroom, but now it is hung in the master bedroom and I love it! Hopefully, tomorrow I can post my master bedroom pictures.

Earlier in the day I had a meeting at which I arrived about 15 minutes early. It was raining really hard, so I didn't want to get out of my car until the rain slowed down or stopped. I decided to use that time and a plastic bag that we all seem to have too many of to gather up the trash. When I got back to my work, I threw the bag away. My car isn't completely decluttered, but all the trash is gone.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Sometimes decluttering and keeping things organized and straight can be very overwhelming. I tend to forget how a short period of time can change an area. So I made what I call a Do It Now List. This list is just a list of tasks (that continually need to be done and take less than 10 minutes). It hangs on my refrigerator. It includes things like:

Pay a bill

File something

Put shoes away

Declutter a section of a drawer, cabinet, etc.

Play with child (fun things need to be on the list, too)

Put away some laundry

Fold some laundry

Put a load of laundry in washer

Wipe one counter

etc., etc., etc.

I don't get hung up trying to clean an entire area. I just do the next thing on the list. You can create your own list with checkboxes (or if you email me I'll be glad to send you mine). I've found that breaking it down into smaller chunks makes it more doable for me. I don't spend time procrastinating about everything that needs to be done. Instead, I'm actually doing something. Plus looking at all those items that I have checked off gives me a real sense of accomplishment. When the list is completed, I put up another one and start all over again.

This really works for our home. To see more Work on It Wednesday, visit Organized Junkie. There are some great ideas there.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Tonight was the last t-ball game of the season and we've almost reached the end of our school year, so I'm hoping to get more decluttering done. I need to make a list of all the places that still need some major decluttering and pick one place per day.

Today I was able to go through the stack of papers that Boo brought home from school (it was more than a stack - it was actually a paper sack full). We pulled out the items that we wanted to save and put the others aside to go to grandparents for their refrigerators or walls or whatever.

I also got my purse and wallet decluttered. It didn't take much time, but it was past due so to speak. Now I know where my library card is and where my movie rental card can be found. I thought I had lost those two items.

See why it's important to declutter? You never know what you may find. Personally, I'm hoping to find money stashed somewhere that I have forgotten. A $20 bill would be nice to find tucked away somewhere. I think I'll go check my wallet and the side pocket of my purse once more just to be sure that all the spaces have been decluttered and clean.

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Yes, even though it is Sunday, I have been decluttering some today. I have been fighting a sinus infection or cold or something since Thursday afternoon (sore throat, congestion, low grade fever and either a stuffy nose or a drippy nose - it changes from one to the other). I was feeling some better today so I decided to declutter in the following areas (sorry but no pictures - I just wasn't up to it):

both the inside freezer and the refrigerator freezer (needed to see what we had before I do our menu plan for the week

bathroom cabinet - I need some space to store the extras that I have been buying at CVS, Walgreens and Target

under bathroom sink

makeup drawer

Considering that I had to do these in shifts and then take a minute to rest because I wasn't feeling great, I'm really proud of what I was able to accomplish. I got rid of lots of outdated OTC medicines and old makeup and organized all the extras in one area so it's easier to find when we need more toothpaste or deodorant.

Tomorrow I need to tackle the closet by the back door. I have bought quite a few cleaning supplies and I can't even get them in that space. I hope that I'll feel like doing this tomorrow.

Friday, May 29, 2009

Who knew that cleaning out closets and decluttering countertops and piles could win you awards? Well, that is exactly what has happened and I am so honored and humbled by this award. Thanks to Joy at Just Organize Yourself for bestowing this honor upon me. She has an awesome site on getting and staying organized and decluttered - a woman after my own heart.

Now, in return since this award is all about making new friends, I must nominate 15 of my favorite blogs for this award. They in turn will need to nominate their friends and so on and so on.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

This week I decided to focus on five things that I could live without that have been decluttered from my home.

old gold picture frames - why would I even waste good money on these - most of them had tarnished and looked horrible - I just had them in a box in a closet (now they are gone)

undies that have seen their better days - our entire household had this duty - some were too far gone for rags (that's really bad)

baby blankets - my little one is now 5 years old and these just don't appeal to him any longer (why have I not blessed someone else with these??)

super flat pillows (actually this would be okay for me but my husband insisted now that we have a new bed that we needed new pillows as well)

old Swiffer sweeper - I got a new microfiber mop from www.flylady.net that I really love but for some reason was still holding on to the old Swiffer - it can go clean up elsewhere

I'm sure you have things that you can live without this Thursday, too. Share them with us. I'm going to try Mr. Linky again, but I'm fearing that it still won't work correctly. If not, just leave a comment and your link.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I just noticed that I hadn't posted anything about decluttering since last week. I had a whole list of things to do over the long weekend and didn't get a single one accomplished - not one. I laid around all weekend (it was rainy here), watched movies, and did absolutely nothing (with the exception of a few loads of laundry.

I guess since today is Tuesday (I almost typed Monday - I'm already a day behind), it is time to start something. So I'm leaving you for now to go get something decluttered. I think I'll start with my dining room table. We probably need to eat somewhere other than in front of the tv tonight.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

I joined a Blog Link A Thon a week or so back at Momdot and part of the agreement for joining was to post the blog thinks on each of our blogs. They will be doing this every month or so. Watch for it and if you didn't get your blog listed in this one, maybe next time. These are some awesome sites, so check them out. Please let them know that you saw them in the Link A Thon.

This is my first 5 Things I Can Live Without Thursday. When I made the picture to use with this post and recurring posts each week, I tried to pick things that I can definitely live without.

Those things include:

shoes that have outlasted their lifetime,

all those plastic bags,

all those plastic bottles,

broken toys, and

junk mail.

My box of "stuff" included mismatched socks and those plastic coat hangers from the store as well, but the five listed are the five that I wanted to highlight this week.

I'm hopeful that each week this post will help me and everyone else think of those things that are just hanging out in our home and don't need to take up residence there. Whether it be that we need to get rid of it or just never bring it in, I'm hoping that each week we'll be reminded to think about this and the 5 Things I Can Live Without.

I know you are thinking of all those things that you now want to share, so link up. Remember, link to your post and be sure to link back to here. To see guidelines for 5 Things, visit here.

Update: I stopped by earlier this morning to check in on the new meme and everything was working fine. Now, I see that the Mr. Linky has disappeared. I can't get into Mr. Linky's website so I think it may just be down. I went to several other sites that I know have Mr. Linky's for Thursday and they're missing, too. If it's not available, leave a comment with your link and I'll add them in later.

After viewing a portion of the Oprah show, I have decided to start Five Things I Can Live Without Thursday. In an effort to get my house and life under control, this looked like something that would benefit all of us. So starting this Thursday, you can link up and share Five Things I Can Live Without.

Here are the guidelines:

5 Things I Can Live Without is open to anyone wanting to join up and link to their post about things they can live without.

Please link to your individual post as opposed to your blog's home page. If you're unsure how this is done, just publish your post. Then right click on the URL address for that post, copy and then paste in the Mr. Linky box.

Adding the 5 Things picture is not a requirement, but you are welcome to use it in your post.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

We didn't have much of a t-ball game tonight since the other team didn't show up. Our fellows (and gals) got to hit a few rounds and then go home. Bad for the kids but good for mommy because I got to tackle another pile - the pile of stuff on my kitchen counter.

My kitchen counter seems to catch everything. This week it was the stuff we purchased at CVS and Target over the weekend. There were also some dishes that had gotten stacked on the counter as well as a few grocery items from an impromptu grocery trip last night. I have gotten those piles cleared tonight and it looks so much better.

Today over at Making Your Home a Haven, the challenge is to tackle a pile. I have taken this challenge and tackled the pile of laundry that was on the freezer in the laundry room. I worked on this before school this morning and now the laundry room looks much better. There is still more to do, but I am so proud to have gotten a little done.

What pile do you need to tackle? I still have plenty more and hope to tackle something else for a few minutes this afternoon.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Because I teach high school and this is graduation week, posts may be a little sporadic this week. We have something going on every night either with graduation or my son's t-ball. I don't know how much decluttering I'll even be able to do with such a full schedule this week. The nice thing (if there is such a thing) about decluttering is that it will wait on you until you can get to it. So there's always next week.

I haven't posted since Thursday, but that doesn't mean that I haven't been finishing up with the spring cleaning assignments and decluttering.

Friday night we worked on the master bedroom a little more because we went Saturday and picked up the rest of the furniture. We got back late Saturday afternoon and got the bed put together and all of the area around the bed (nightstand, underneath, baseboards, etc.) cleaned and organized. My goal is not put nothing under this new bed so that there won't be an accumulation of junk and dust bunnies under there.

Sunday after church, I had to go through the lateral filing cabinet that held our tv and all the peripherals for it. We bought a media chest with this bedroom suite which meant that the filing cabinet had to go elsewhere. I spent several hours pouring through old files and throwing out nearly 1/2 of the "junk" that was in there. There are still a few files that need to be gone through, but these were medical files that would take more time to decide if enough time had passed to allow it to be dumped. I didn't think I had enough mental alertness on Sunday to tackle those.

The new bedroom furniture is set up now and the room has been thoroughly cleaned. Now, we have to start moving the clothes and other items from the old dressers to these. I'm sure there will be even more decluttering to be done. I want to take pictures, but I am waiting until we get the decorative items back on the wall and dressers.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Today the challenge for the Spring Cleaning Party over at Simplemom.net was the master bedroom. Because our bedroom is torn all apart right now waiting on the new furniture, I decided to attack my closet. I almost didn't take a before shot because it was so bad. Lots of things from the bedroom had just been thrown in there as we were trying to move furniture around from room to room. Now I'm glad that I did the before because it is a drastic change. See for yourself.

Before (as if you couldn't tell):

and After (aahhhh!):

Between what we cleaned out of Boo's room yesterday and the stuff from my closet today, we have a toy hamper full plus another paper sack that will get donated to the local church thrift store. Good for them. Better for us.

1. Getting the living room back in shape this week even though we have furniture spread out everywhere.

2. Getting Boo's room back in order (now I need to tackle his bathroom).

3. Not a declutter thing, but after our preacher's sermon Sunday entitled Failure to Launch on not letting our kids be the dictators of the house, Boo has slept every night in his own room. This is a major (I mean, MAJOR) accomplishment. Because he was born premature and had LOTS of health issues for the first 4 years, we have kept him close by in our room. Even in the last year, we have had a couple of scares with his breathing issues. After Sunday's sermon, I decided to put it in God's hands and move him to his own room. Right now, we are just in the spare room next door because of the new furniture still coming in. (Parts didn't come in and parts needed to be returned.) I have been able to sleep and he usually comes in between 5-6 a.m. and snoozes with us a bit then. It has given my husband and I some time together that we just weren't having previously, so our minister was right (which of course I knew he would be). It's not been easy, but we've got a wonderful start.

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

At Simple Mom, our Spring Cleaning feat for today is the children's room. I thought I'd be able to get this done with a little help from Boo and possibly take 10-15 minutes. Little did I know. It's a sure sign when you child closes the closet door that something is definitely amiss.

Here are the before shots. Beware! Enter at your own risk!! (They are really messy.) My little one was not very happy about taking pictures of his messy room.

Now for the after:

I am going to show him these pictures as a reminder of what his room is supposed to look like. We have been trying to pick up the toys and stuff every evening, but I didn't realize that he was just piling it around rather than putting it away. So Mom's got to do a better job of checking behind him.

As a side note Boo wants to let the House Fairy know that he plans to keep it looking this great, and that he really does deserve a prize even though it was really bad at the beginning.